Coconut Vanilla Granola
Homemade granola really is one of the easiest things to make. You don’t need to measure anything, you can just do it by eye. You can also experiment with lots of different variations and flavours. The key thing is to bake it on a low heat and avoid burning it!
Typically, granola is full of nuts and seeds, which is not always ideal if you are allergic, or avoiding them for dietary reasons. Recently I’ve been trying to eat a low oxalate diet for my own health reasons and there doesn’t seem to be a granola on the planet that I can eat - so I decided to make my own - largely made of coconut.
As a Nutritional Therapist, I don’t advocate having granola for breakfast, and would never recommend eating large quantities with milk as if it’s a museli, due to the sugar content. However, homemade granola can be a lovely addition to a bowl of thick creamy natural or Greek yoghurt. You don’t need a lot but a light sprinkling provides a lovely sweetness and crunch that sometimes we fancy. I would rather everyone was having a savoury breakfast to start their day, so I often find myself having a bowl of yoghurt, stewed apple and granola as a dessert. This one is gluten-free, nut- and seed-free and low to medium oxalate. Try it as is, or use my recipe as a basis for your own version.
TOTAL TIME: Around 1 hour
MAKES: A large jar
SEASON: All year around
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup oats (gluten-free if strictly GF)
1/2 cup puffed rice
3 tbsp coconut flour
3/4 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 large tbsp honey (sub for maple syrup if vegan)
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp vanilla paste (sub for 2 tsp vanilla essence)
METHOD:
Pre-heat a fan oven to 120 degrees C.
If your coconut oil is solid, measure it out into a saucepan and melt over a low heat.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, desiccated coconut, coconut flour, coconut flakes, puffed rice, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Once the coconut oil is fully melted, add it to the dry ingredients, along with the extra virgin olive oil and mix thoroughly.
Finally, stir in the honey and the vanilla essence until the mixture begins to stick together a little.
Line a large flat baking tray with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper and spread the granola mixture out across the tray.
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until golden, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure it browns evenly.
Allow to cool before storing in an air-tight glass jar or tin in your kitchen cupboard. The sugar will preserve it for several weeks.